Introduction to Statistics

Statistics I – Edexcel GCSE (1MA1): Foundation Tier

In this course, Dr Craig Anderson (University of Glasgow) explores statistics, covering Topics S1, S2, and S5 in the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) in Mathematics (1MA1) Specification for Foundation Tier. In the first mini-lecture, we introduce statistics, motivate why it is useful, and discuss statistics and data used in real-world scenarios. In the second mini-lecture, we learn about populations and sampling (Topics S1, S5). In the third mini-lecture, we discuss ways of presenting data visually, specifically using frequency tables and graphs, as well as bar charts (Topic S2). In the fourth mini-lecture, we discuss more ways of presenting data visually, specifically pictograms, pie charts, and line charts (Topic S2).

Introduction to Statistics

In this mini-lecture, we provide an introduction to statistics. As we move through this mini-lecture, we think about: (i) what statistics is and how it is used; (ii) statistics and data in real-world scenarios, such as healthcare, air quality, and flooding; (iii) one of the first examples of statistics used for the greater good: the diagram made by epidemiologist, John Snow, that shows the distribution of deaths during the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak; (iv) primary data and secondary data; (v) quantitative data and qualitative data; and (vi) two types of quantitative data: discrete data and continuous data.